Agricultural apparatus



Dec. 5, 1933. c. F. BRoEMMELslcK ET AL. 1,938,132

AGRICULTURAL APPARATUS lulu/Nij? i Il! Patented Deo.`5,1933 1 l `1,938,132

UNITED fsrArss PATENT OFFICE AGRICULTURAL APPARATUS CharlesF. Broemmelsick and Clifford A. Wilmas, l 'Y Y Chesterfield, Mo. c

.f Applioation May 16, 1932. serial No. 611,480' yaolaims; (C1. er1-235') This invention relates to agricultural appa- The units of the kapparatus are arranged side by ratus of the type whereinla multiplicity,v of side with their axles disposed end to end, and,

wheeled agricultural units are combined together one. of 'Y each two adjacent wheels is removed. for simultaneous operation... The invention. hasy from its axle. In the three vunit apparatus for its principal objects to provide a simple and shown, the two wheels of the middle unit are 60 eflicient arrangement for quickly and easily conleft inv place land the inner wheels of the 4two necting together a plurality of standard wheeled outer units are removed from the axles thereof. agricultural units to form an agricultural ap- In cases where two units are used, one of the paratus that will have the desired flexibility to inner wheels is dispensed with; and in cases `permit proper operation of each unit on the irwhere more than three unts are used, one of 65 regular surface of the ground traversed; to disevery two adjacent wheels is eliminated.

pense with the use of a framework for connect- The units are operatively connected together ing together such units; toenable such units to for simultaneous operation as a single apparatus be detached from the apparatus for individual by means of universal joints B and by means of operation; to dispense with some of the wheels a sectional tie bar C. As shown in the drawing, 70 of some of the associated units; and to provide the universal joints serve to flexibly connect for the easy turning of the apparatus in a minthe adjacent ends of the axles of adjacentl imum space. The invention consists in the units, and preferably comprise cooperating memmulti-unit agricultural apparatus; and it also bers 8 and 9 suitably connected one to each end consists in the parts and combinations of parts of an axle. The sectional tie bar C extends 75 and in the assembling method hereinafter deparallel to the'axles of the units across the scribed and claimed. tongues thereof. Said tie bar preferably com- In the accompanying drawing, which forms prises end and intermediate sections of substanpart of this specification and wherein like symtially channel-shaped cross-section that are bols refer to like parts wherever they occur, bolted or otherwise rigidly secured to the tongues 80 Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a multi-unit agriof the respective units. The adjacent ends of Cultural apparatus embodying my invention, said tie bar sections are flexibly connected to- Fig. 2 is a side elevation of said apparatus, gether by suitable hinges 10, whose pivotal cen- Fg 3 iS a fragmentary plan view of the front ters are substantially in line with theV centers of portion of the apparatus, showing the hinged the universaljoint connections between the axles. 85./

connection between tongues of the units. The shafts or tongues of the end units terminate Fig. 4 is a front elevation of the parts shown flush with the front edge of the hinged connectin Fig. 3, ing bar C and the shaft or tongue of the inter- Fig. 5 is a vertical cross-section on the line mediate unit projects .beyond said bar and serves 5-5 in Fig. 3, as a hitch for attachment to a tractor or other 90 Fig. 6 is a fragmentary elevation showing the pulling means. universal joint connection between the adjacent The hereinbefore described agricultural apend of the axles of adjacent units; and o paratus has numerous advantages. It permits Fig. 'I is a longitudinal section through said the units to be quickly and easily connected and 40 universal joint. disconnected for joint operation and independ- 95v The present multi-unit agricultural apparatus ent operation. The hook-up forms an apparatus comprisesv three agricultural implements or units whose flexibility permits the individual units to arranged side by side and combined together follow the contour of the ground' traversedand for simultaneous operation. Each of the agrithus enables each unit to plant or cultivate at cultural implements or units A is shown in the the same depth. It dispenses with the use of 100 form of a potato planter of conventional conlarge and cumbersome frames for connecting the struction; but the invention is equally applicable units; and it permits turning and storing of to other wheeled planting and soil working imthe apparatus in a comparativelyl small space. plements. Each of the potato planters A used in It also dispenses with some of the wheels of the forming the apparatus comprises an axle 1, units and, at the same time, provides a suflicient 105 v wheels 2 on the ends thereof, a suitable frame 3 number of wheels to distribute the weight withfor supporting the planting mechanism, which out excessive cutting or packing of the ground. includes a hopper 4 and the usual furrow open- Obviously, the hereinbefore described apparaing and closing implements 5 and 6, and a fortus admits of considerable modification without wardly projecting draft or tongue member 7. vdeparting fromv the invention. Therefore, we l-TV do not wish to be limited to the precise hook-up and to the kind or number of units shown in the drawing.

What we claim:

1. A multi-unit agricultural apparatus comprising a plurality of standard agricultural units provided with duplicate Wheeled axles, said units being arranged side by side with their axles disposed end to end and with one wheel removed from one of the two adjacent axle ends, unversal joint driving connections between the ends of adjacent axles, and means for flexibly connecting together the front portions of .said units, said means comprising members rigidly xed to the respective units and arranged end to end substantially parallel to the axles of said units, and means for hingedly connecting together the members of adjacent units at points substantially in line with said universal joints.

2. A multi-unit agricultural apparatus com` prising a plurality of agricultural units provided with wheeled axles, said units being arranged side by side with their axles disposed end to end, universal joint connections between the ends of adjacent axles, means for flexibly connecting together the front portions of said units, said means comprising channel-shaped members rigidly xed to the tongues of respective units and arranged end to end substantially parallel to the axles of said units, and means for hingedly connecting together the members of adjacent units at points substantially in line with the universal joint connections between the axles thereof.

3. A multi-unit agricultural apparatus comprising a plurality of standard wheeled agricultural units provided with duplicate axles, said units being arranged side by side with their axles disposed end to end, universal joint driving connections between the ends of the axles of adjacent units each of said units being provided Wi-th tongues, means for flexibly connecting together the tongues of adjacent units, said means comprising members rigidly fixed to the tongues of the respective units and arranged end to end substantially parallel to the axles of said units, and means for hingedly connecting together the members of adjacent units at points substantially in line with the universal joint connections betwen the shafts thereof.

CHARLES F. BROEMMELSICK. CLIFFORD A. WILMAS. 

